Last of the Mohicans ... er, well, Last of my Quilt Show!

So, for all my adoring fans out there in cyber land ... above is one of my best and worst buys! It's the best because it cost me exactly $1.00!! and my worst because it is in perhaps the worst shape of all my quilts - it's falling apart and is rather dirty! It literally came off the floor in a junk shop and I just couldn't bear to see people walk all over it so I persuaded the shop owner to sell it to me! It is also my only Log Cabin quilt. It is of a certain age, as they say, and contains Velvets, Worsted Wool and I suspect Gabardine fabrics, hence is quite quite heavy.

To the left is a lovely blue and white Pineapple I got at an auction on Manitoulin Island, and to our right is a SILK (yes, I said Silk) blue and white Delectable Mountain quilt, at least that's what I think is the name of this pattern. These two blue and white quilts live on a small quilt rack in my living room, which is blue and white!
This utility quilt pictured above I got at another junk store and although I don't recall the actual amount - it too was a real bargoon! It's a simple 9 patch and is my favourite quilt as it has a flannel backing. Actually, if you must know I call it my sick quilt since whenever I am sick I like to lie on the couch and wrap myself up in this quilt to keep warm. Isn't that what vintage quilts are for??
And lastly ....... TaDa! On the left are the left-over blocks from this guild cobblestones workshop, and on the right is the final finished product. I suppose I should have waited until show-n-tell night at the guild, but it's been SO long since I finished a full sized quilt I'm just too excited! And yes ladies it's all hand quilted! I used the same fabric for the borders as the backing, and even managed to scrimp the 4 corner blocks out of pre-cut workshop blocks! Way to go! Workshops are really the way to go - if you haven't tried one yet give it a whirl!

TTFN ladies!

Losing my Mind! or How long does it take to Change a Light Bulb?

So, I have the sense that I'm losing my mind. I can't seem to remember where I left it. I had a mini meltdown back in November when my calendaring abilities completely escaped me momentarily, but that's not really when it started. I wish it was but have to admit that this has been creeping up on my slowly but surely. I would also dearly love to lay the blame on my active work and social life, but this too would be deflecting reality.
Recently I read an old Oprah magazine article (2007) entitled The Midlife Memory Meltdown by Cathryn Jakobson, in which she describes several memorable (pardon the pun ...) syndromes of this not so funny affliction.

• first there's the quick - who is she? dsyfunction (haven't I always been this way?)
  
• colliding planets syndrome (aka my calendaring malfuntion fits in here)
  
• then the damn it they were just in my hand afflication, followed by
• what am I doing here? paranoia (aka where the H--- am I?/how do you get there?) and
  
• wrong vessel disorder (where you put your car keys in the frig and your milk in the oven). I have yet to personally experience this last one - phew!

I would respectfully add to this list a re-awakening of a minor dyslexic life challenge of mine which involves switching letters (or numbers) around. ARGGGGGGGG more than just a wee bit irritating!
According to a news article on the BBC website today "Brain decline begins at age 27" (reeeeally, I find these stories serendipitously). So, it's not recent, and it's not just me - I've been going downhill for a long time now and only just began to notice, and, as Oprah's article reassures me, I am not alone!

Moral of the story? For all those out there currently laughing at me or making fun of me for my current (and I hope temporary) inability to read a calendar, a map or remember your name

WATCH OUT - YOUR TIME WILL COME!

But then again, there is the question of how long does it take to change a light bulb? In my case it took 2 HOURS! Yes, I said 2 hours, 'cause the #^&*%@ thing was not just a "push in/pull out" kinda bulb like the hardware store guy said, but a stuck in the new light fixture kinda bulb! So, while standing on the stove, with arms over my head (not a comfy position for someone still dealing with Frozen Shoulder syndrome) I coaxed the bloody thing out of the light fixture with the aid of some needle nosed pliers. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Woohoo!

Not bad for an absent minded old lady eh?
FYI - here's my spring tablescape .... hard to see, but there's a Bird on the table and my garland of white stars in now gracing the curtain swag!
TTFN

Quilt Show Part Deux !

Yes folks, it the second instalment of my vintage quilt show! The quilt above is perhaps my oldest, and I base that guess on many of the fabrics which might date back as far as the 1860's!

To the left and right are my favourite pink Star quilts. On the left there is a mixture of pinks and blues while the older quilt on the right is just pink and white. There are so many different star quilts (not necessarily in my collection) that I really can't tell you which Star patterns these are, except that it is quite old, I'd say perhaps turn of the century, based on the fabrics. But I'm not a quilt appraisal expert!
Above is a lovely pink Baskets quilt. It's setting is unusual in the the baskets face toward the centre, interesting. On the right is what I used to call my Red Cross quilt in the mistaken belief that it was made as a fund raiser in WWI. There is a history of Red Cross fund raiser quilts, but now I think this is just a lovely example of a Chimney Sweep quilt block done circa 1900-1910.
Then we have a red Star of Bethlehem a great example of a Turkey Red quilt. This one I think comes from the depression era, a guestimate based on the feed sack quality of the muslin.
Next we have the real McKoy - a Redwork quilt done in 1902! I guess this is an official antique as it's over 100 years old! (by definition an object MUST BE 100 years old to be considered an antique, anything younger is simply vintage!) Here's a closeup of the maker's initials, (J M) not that it has helped me in identifying who made the quilt!
Just in case you thought we were done with Dresdan Plate quilts - wrong! Here's what's called a "Fancy" in that the centre has extra blades. This quilt also has a lovely ice cream cone border.
This Tree of Life was a gift from an aunt's friend, if memory serves me, and I would date it from the 30's based on the pastel colours of green and peach. The String pieced Star quilt on the right is another example of a "utilitarian" quilt. This quilt has a yellow background and was purchased in a little antique store in Thedford .

The quilt now on the left has always puzzled me as to what pattern it is. The picture does it justice and reveals a pattern not seen up close. If anyone out there has an idea of the pattern name please feel free to leave me a comment! I purchased it because I loved it - the only reason one should buy anything!
Above we have another utility Star quilt, this one was purchased in St. Jacobs and is made almost completely out of men's shirting fabric. I was told there used to be a men's shirt factory in that area, but maybe, being Mennonite country they simply used up their scraps? The picture does not do it justice as it seems rather washed out, but in reality the quilt is actually in rather good condition.
On the left is another favourite of mine, I believe it's called 1000 Pyramids and, of course is a scrap quilt in blues and greens and pinks and peaches.
On the right is something similar to the cobblestone quilt I'm working on right now. It's a variation of the 9 Patch done in lovely pastels. Another 9 Patch, this time with blues and reds and faded blacks. I think these two are approximately the same age, but the blue and red one has seen more use!

The two 9 Patch quilts above almost look like an Double Irish Chain, but just in case you were fooled - HA! here's the real deal. For awhile there I had a real passion for two colour quilts. I've "heard " (probably an urban quilting legend) that a blue and white quilt is a Temperance quilt , after all blue and white were the colours for Temperance! Can anyone verify that?
On the right is another oldie. I don't think this fabric originally was purple, but maybe it was. My guess is that it definitely dates to the 1880's.
Here we have a depression era "Circle" quilt. That's probably not it's official pattern name - but that's what I call it. The circles are raw edge appliqued which produces a real nice effect I think. On the right is my blue and white Trip Around the World, also purchased in Mennonite country.

Now we're getting to my real Mennonite gems - the one on the left is a Star quilt made from their denim "scraps" after making work shirts.
This one below is another 9 Patch made from the same type of fabric. And the 9 Patch on the right, a carriage quilt, with used feed sacks for the backing. You can still see the Quaker Oats logo on the muslin! Now, to finish off (well, ok, not really, there still some quilts left in the house that I have not rounded up) here's a child's quilt. I call it that because of the size (not quite a twin but bigger than a crib quilt) and also because of the whimsical boats in the border fabric. I think the pattern name is Crown of Thorns.
So that's part deux for now. These will lay out for the next month before being refolded and once again put away. Phew what a chore! In case you wonder where on earth does she keep them all? On the left are the quilts, now refolded from quilt show part one, neatly - or not so neatly stored away on my wicker shelf unit.

So, TTFN. The remainder of my vintage collection will have to wait until another time.

Green Thumb !

WooHoo! I got it to flower!!

OK - I know it isn't Christmas or Easter, so exactly what kind of cactus is this - I dunno, and frankly don't care. This point is I got it to flower and I'm thrilled. My sister gave me this plant two years ago as a present and I finally got it to flower! I have redeemed myself in the indoor gardener's world!
Simone is finally relaxing - somewhat - and has decided that the cat bed I bought for her really might just be comfy after all. Another big WooHoo. She also is no longer running away every time I walk near her, only some of the time now. I'm playing more and more with her and making sure that whenever we do play something touches her - whether or not it's me or a toy, as long as something touches her - it's my attempt to get her used to being touched and it seems to be working.

Simone is doing a lot of rubbing up against doors, and chair legs, and she even is mimicking her big sister Iris in that when I first come home she greets me at the door and then immediately plops down and rolls over to expose her belly. Iris I then give a great big belly rub, but for now Simone merely watches, and hopefully learns. It seems she wants attention and physical touch but still isn't quite trusting enough. Patience!!!

FYI - this is a picture of my view from my work window ... nice eh?

TTFN

Coffee Table :)

Like my "new" coffee table?

A friend and I were antiquing on the weekend and guess what I found!! It's a cutdown oval, solid walnut EastLake parlour table. JUST WHAT I WANTED! I've been looking for a "new" coffee table ever since I moved into my abode, as the old cutdown painted cottage lookcoffee table was just too square (too large) for my living room! So, Yahoo, I finally have what I was looking for.

What else have I been up to besides spending money and contemplating my navel? Well, I finally got the borders on my Cobblestones quilt top. In the end I used the backing fabric (luckily I purchased enough) as it seemed to be the only appropriate colour. I even managed to use up 4 more 4 " squares in the corners to finish it off! Next step is to sandwich it up and baste it then it's on the frame for some hand quilting! Wish me luck!
TTFN

Another Breakthru!!

Another Simone breakthrough .... this past Sunday morning as I prepared breakfast Simone, who has become rather vocal when she wants her food, decided to rub up against my legs - you know how cats do, just to let me know that she's there and wanted her breakfast. WooHoo!, ok,ok, she is still reluctant to let me touch her ... but this was the first time she voluntarily touched me! Since then I have been engaging her in lots of interactive playing activities where I can get real close to her, and have managed to "pet" her three times this week. So it seems we are definitely making progress!

And speaking of cats, look what I found in my sewing room - long hidden in a box in the closet! I believe these cat applique blocks are at least 6-7 years old. So of course I had to allow them to see the light. The patterns can be located in Carol Armstrong's book Cats in Quilts. As you can see I spent an enjoyable Saturday afternoon arranging and re-arranging the different blocks until I had an arrangement I was pleased with. And, in keeping with my NY resolution I used some calico fabric from my stash as the sashing. Each block was completed on a different "neutral" background. And now I have 2 empty blocks - OH NO what to do ????

I guess I'll have to applique one more cat (for the empty centre block) and I think I'll try something embroideryish or something with a mouse or mice in the bottom left corner beside the Siamese.

Wish me luck!

TTFN

Lunch Anyone?

OK, nothing too spectacular this week, but rather mundane (sorry). Above is a pic of my sewing accomplishment last weekend. Using some fabric I purchased for the millennium (yeah - well, admit it - you to have fabric that old!) I finally managed to make myself a quilted cover for my travel mug, my thermos and, to top it off a lunch bag. The quilted thermos and travel mug covers were a real necessity given the -20 degree we've been experiencing, especially with the extra long walk in from the parking lot.
I know, I know, everybody thinks I'm being a big baby complaining about the walk from the parking lot, but I'm not talking about some piddly little parking lot next to your bank ... I'm talking about a mammoth huge parking lot for 400+ cars at the very outer perimeter of campus. I call it the back 60; and not only do I have the "joy" of marching in every day from the back 60, I also have the great joy of marching down into the tunnel under the main thoroughfare and back up again, then past a large building construction zone. All this enjoyment is shared each day with a large volume of pedestrian traffic, each of whom is also making the same stupid trek!
In normal human weather it's a nice walk, in fact in the spring/summer/fall it's rather pleasant. But in this cold weather it exasperates my asthma dramatically and makes the trek a real challenge. At least my tea is still warm when I finally arrive at my destination! Woohoo!

TTYL

Quilt Show !

Every January I spend a weekend pulling quilts from one of the 2 large shelf units I have filled with vintage quilts. I collected most of these quilts at local quilt shows, back when quilt collecting was still somewhat affordable. I have collected what I like based on my tastes and emotional response to the textile. I have not collected a quilt based on future possible profit, or on some so-called "expert" opinion on what should be collected. The quilt at the top of this post was my "introduction" to quilting. This Dresden Plate was my mother's "wedding" quilt, made by her mother and quilted by the church ladies. It was always in our home, and in my teens, after inheriting that grandmother's vintage singer sewing machine and sewing paraphernalia .... I became interested - ok, ok, obsessed with quilts!

So, anyway, every January I pull the quilts from their shelves, unfold and lay them out on the bed in my spare room. I usually leave the quilts for a month or so, protected from the morning sun and the cats. In this way they "unfold" and when the month is up I begin the process of refolding - in a different pattern - so I don't get permanent creases in my collection! On the right is a 1930's Double Wedding Ring. I don't think it was ever used as the colours are nice and bright (for pastels) and in very good condition. I love the red!

On the left is a 1930's yellow Basket quilt, you can tell by the feedsack fabrics. And on the right is another Basket quilt, this time divided by blue lattices. I also it's circa 1930's because of the fabrics.

Next we have a Tulip quilt. I inherited the blocks from a friend of a friend's grandmother - or some such such connection I can't quiet remember anymore. Anyway, I was some what reluctant to complete this quilt top as the person who made the blocks used a stiff polished cotton as the background, and no matter what I do - when washed it wrinkles like mad and needs to be pressed, which is kinda weird for a quilt - but what can ya do ...

And on your right is a Kansas Star quilt top. The top was hand pieced, and after repairing some of the seams I patiently hand quilted this beauty myself. I'm rather proud of the fact that I have actually completed one of the many vintage quilt tops that I own!

BTW, if anyone out there enjoying this quilt show has other names for these quilts I'm showing please feel free to leave me a comment with this info. I base my quilt names on Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns . Above is a Lone Star. It's lovely, but stained. HOW'd THAT HAPPEN??? Did I buy it that way ? or did one of my feline beasties do something nasty and not tell me??

This blue and white Pinwheel to the right is another quilt I'm extremely proud of. I made this one back in the days when I was still producing large quilts. I wasn't too much concerned (or aware?) of piecing techniques, hence many a lost point ... but hey, the result is something pretty anyway! Of course it is hand quilted - and if I do say so myself, heavily quilted!! I added the pink inner border as I thought the blue & white alone was too boring.
On the right is a lovely fan quilt - circa - hmm, I don't really know, but my quess if anywhere from 1940's-1950's. How do I know??? Again, my information source is Dating Fabrics: A Color Guide 1800-1960 by Eileen Jahnke Trestain.

This one to our left is a Bethlehem Star (?) I think. Based on it's condition I'm guessing it was used and is from the 1900-1930's. Some of the fabrics are somewhat delicate, but it still shows rather well and has a great "hand" being nice and soft.

Below is an Autograph or Signature quilt I purchased at an antique store in Port Perry. It was one of those "got-to-have"s... Even with no autographs!Here's more Dresden Plate quilts. I kinda fell in love with this pattern (sorry I hope I don't bore you with lots of Dresden Plates). There's just something about the pattern that I just adore! It must be the pastel colours.

And another Double Wedding Ring. This one was purchased for a realllly good price at a silent auction at the GoodWill!!! Yes ladies - you can get bargoons there if you're on the lookout!I think this pattern is referred to an Wheel of Fortune. I really can't remember where or when I purchased it. I would guess it's from the 30's as I suspect it has feedsack fabrics . The Tree of Life on the right I also suspect is from the '30's. This time I'm basing that guess on it's provenance. It came to me through an aunt who had a friend, who had a friend who knew an old lady who died .... etc. etc. Sad way to acquire something beautiful, but maybe she's resting in peace knowing her hand made quilt is treasured by another connoisseur.
Here I have a BowTie quilt. It's the only one in my collection(that I know of) but then this is only 1/2 of the collection .... Again I think its from the 1930's/40's based on the fabrics.

Below is a damaged Indian Trail, least I think that's what it's called. Someone had an unfortunate accident and there are small blood stains in various spots. It was cheap probably 'cause of the stains. I purchased it as an example of a pattern I'm sure I'll never get to ....
To finish off this portion of my "Quilt Show" I have two utility quilts. On the left is a freebie 1930's Butterfly applique quilt. I admit to spending one whole month many many February's ago re embroidering the black blanket stitch, and replacing some of the butterflies. A friend found this one for me at a church rummage sale - you never know where great quilts will turn up!
On the right is a simple patchwork - no particular pattern name that I am aware of, but I liked it for the wonderful Baptist Fan hand quilting!

So, that's my Quilt show for today, Hope you enjoyed it. Next month, if I'm on schedule and still enthusiastic you might get to see the other half of my "quilt collection".

TTFN